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MCC Daily Tribune

SUNY Chancellor King Announces Applications Open for Empire State Summer Service Corps Program

SUNY Students Encouraged to Apply for Paid Civic and Service Internships Available This Summer

Governor Hochul’s Empire State Service Corps Program Connects Students with Community Service and Career Development Opportunities

Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced Friday that applications for the Empire State Summer Service Corps Program are now open. The opening of the application marks the second year of the summer corps program. SUNY undergraduate or graduate students are encouraged to apply on the SUNY website between now and January 31, 2026, for one of 150 paid civic and service internships that will take place from May through August.

“The Empire State Service Corps provides our students with real-world paid service opportunities that benefit all New Yorkers,” SUNY Chancellor King said. “SUNY is proud to help grow this effort, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and state leaders, and provide even more opportunities for our students to serve their communities and state during their summer break. I applaud every member of our Service Corps as they work to enrich their communities and make a difference both on- and off-campus, while participating in an internship that can prepare them for the future.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, and the support of the State Legislature, SUNY’s Empire State Service Corps is continuing to grow and provide more students with the opportunity to serve their local communities. We thank Governor Hochul for championing this program, and applaud her proposal to double it, which will provide more of our students the opportunity to improve the lives of New Yorkers throughout the state.”

The Empire State Summer Service Corps program is part of Governor Hochul’s Empire State Service Corps initiative that connects students with community service and career development opportunities through paid civic and service internships. During the 2025 Summer Program, a total of 224 students from 45 SUNY campuses served across all regions of New York State.

The Empire State Service Corps, championed by Governor Hochul and funded by $2.75 million in the FY25 Enacted State Budget, is New York State’s largest AmeriCorps program. Students participating in the Empire State Service Corps dedicate at least 300 hours to engaging in paid community service and convene regularly to share and learn from each other’s experiences. In 2025, applications far exceeded the number of spots available for the second year in a row, with applications outpacing the number of campus spots 4:1. In her 2026 State of the State agenda (PDF), Governor Hochul proposed doubling the size of the Empire State Service Corps, and includes new programs to meet New York State’s most pressing needs — offering new capacity to assist in areas such as disaster recovery.

Focus areas Empire State Service Corps Members traditionally work in include:

  • Civic Engagement/Civil Discourse: Students will serve either on or off campus with organizations such as local nonprofits related to civic engagement and civil discourse, including nonpartisan voter outreach, voter registration, and engaging campus peers in voter activity.
  • Early Childhood Education (new in 2025-26): Students will serve at a host site dedicated to early childhood education and/or development (for example, daycare or Head Start centers).
  • FAFSA Completion: Students will serve local communities, in visits to local high schools and through work on-campus, to support students in completing the FAFSA.
  • Food Insecurity/SNAP Basic Needs: Students will serve on or off campus supporting students and others with SNAP outreach as well as basic needs support (which could include shifts at a campus food pantry) or with other food insecurity-aligned work.
  • K-12 Education: Students will partner with local school districts for regular tutoring sessions with students in the community who need more academic support.
  • Peer Mental Health: Students will be trained to serve as a peer mental health educator, typically at a campus/community wellness or counseling center. Students will support peers either on or off campus in supporting strong mental health practices and overall wellness initiatives.
  • Student Success Coaching (new in 2025-26): Students will work with middle and high school students to combat common challenges external to academics like addressing chronic absenteeism, access to socio-emotional learning, mentoring, and mental health support.
  • Sustainability: Students will serve in campus roles and with local nonprofits and State agencies on sustainability work, such as recycling campaigns, tree planting, pollinator gardens, and sustainability outreach.
  • Veterans Affairs Outreach (new in 2025-26): Students will serve at host sites dedicated to supporting active military or veterans' affairs for individuals, families, or affiliated groups.

The Empire State Service Corps is part of SUNY’s ongoing efforts to support New Yorkers in need by encouraging civic engagement and volunteerism. Recently, Empire State Service Corps members assembled literacy kits as part of a day of service to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and in 2025 members of the Empire State Service Corps were mobilized for Governor Hochul’s Day of Hunger Action in their communities, and provided additional assistance during the food insecurity crisis. 

The first cohort of Empire State Service Corps and Empire State Summer Service Corps members logged a combined 102,343 service hours during the 2024-25 program, serving 74,638 New Yorkers. Empire State Summer Service Corps members also supported 200 new SNAP application submissions during the Summer 2025 session.

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said, “The Empire State Summer Service Corps Program gives students paid, hands-on experience while strengthening the communities they serve. It shows what higher education can and should do: connect learning to real-world service, open doors to career pathways, and instill a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. I applaud Chancellor King and SUNY for expanding opportunities that help students earn, learn, and give back at the same time.”

State Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, “The Empire State Service Corps gives SUNY students meaningful opportunities to engage in public service while developing skills that will last a lifetime. From early childhood education and K-12 tutoring to addressing food insecurity, mental health, sustainability, and veterans’ affairs, students make a tangible impact in their communities. I commend SUNY and Chancellor King for offering such a comprehensive program that nurtures student growth and strengthens communities across New York State.”

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. Learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities at the SUNY website (suny.edu).

Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
01/26/2026